Celtics Bulldoze Chicago, 118-90
No OT needed as the Celtics routed the Bulls.
After two games of stifling defense overshadowing their struggling offense, it’s now apparent that the Celtics have found their offensive wings. They soared over the Chicago Bulls (118-90) in the over-hyped rematch of last year’s spectacular first round series.
The Celtics scored 118 points on 58 percent field goal shooting. They continued their three-point shooting barrage, hitting 12-24 from beyond the arc.
KG is a game changing dynamic…
KG is back and the Bulls felt his wrath.
Matt’s opinion was that KG’s defensive growl would hit the Bulls hard, something that was sorely missed during last year’s playoff series. He particularly noted that KG would not allow the long and athletic Joakim Noah to be as successful as during the seven game extravaganza last spring. “Goldie” was indirectly correct. Though Noah scored 16 points (7-10 shooting) and ripped off 10 boards, he was the only Bull that showed up to play. Of the other 11 players that notched minutes for Chicago, none shot over 50 percent from the field.
Kevin Garnett and company held the Bulls to 41 percent from the field and 13 percent from 3 point territory. Though “Goldie” was off in his Noah prediction, he was indirectly correct about Garnett’s affect on the Bulls on the defensive end of the court.
Rondo vs Rose…
Matt predicted this to be the match-up of the night. Take the influence of the ESPN hype-machine out of the equation and it’s clear that Rondo dominated Rose in every aspect of game-play. Rondo dished out 16 dimes and tallied 8 rebounds dominating the game while only scoring 2 points on TWO shot attempts. Rajon carried his hold over Rose to the defensive end of the court. His smothering defense kept Rose from scoring or making plays for his snoozing teammates. Rose scored 10 points but finished with just 2 assists. It’s clear that Rose’s ankle is not yet healed.
Note from the Sidelines:
Danny Ainge sign Rondo already!
Rajon’s domination of this game while launch just TWO shots only emphasizes how he excels in the Celtics system.
To: Danny Ainge
From: NSS
Rondo is for real! Re-sign him before Monday!
To: Rajon Rondo
From: NSS
You’re impact on the Celtics offense is amazing! You can take over a game without scoring a point. Lucky for you (and us), with the big guns we have, you don’t need to score a point. If you switched team’s with Derrick Rose and had to score 16-25 points per-game, how would you fit in? Would you be an all-star consideration? Rajon, I love ya’. You’re a walking triple double on the Celtics. You’re a perfect fit for this team and this team is a perfect fit for you! Make some compromises and sign the deal!
Okay, I am finished writing imaginary emails. Let’s get back to Matt’s prediction results.
Nightly prayer for KG’s health…
I think we can abandon the KG novena’s and finally start praying to win the lottery again. KG is back! Okay, he missed a dunk for the second time in three games, but that is totally a timing issue– it has no relation to Garnett’s knee. The Ticket scored 16 points on 7-13 shooting. Most impressive was KG’s accuracy from long range. The progression of Garnett’s shooting accuracy from further distances continues to show that Kevin’s legs are getting stronger. For the second straight game, the big fella played under 30 minutes. Doc needs to limit KG to 32-35 minutes– blowout or not.
The Results…
Matt predicted a 103-82 score. The actual score was 118-90. Ultimately “Goldie” was off by a 7 point margin but he did predict a blow out victory for the C’s. That’s good enough for me to realize that “Goldie’s” predictions are golden.
Matt, I can’t wait to hear your predictions for Sunday’s game. One more close one like this and you and I are going to Vegas!
Post-game Notes:
Paul Pierce dominated the 3rd quarter with 20 points and several three-point bombs.
Danny Ainge decided that a fine is enough punishment for Big Baby, no suspension will be incurred. Baby apologized and will travel with the team.
Ray Allen continues to put up great numbers quietly. His stat line last night was 20 points, 7-9 from the field, 2-3 from three-point land, in 23 minutes. I hope Danny re-signs Ray. I want to see his number 20 hanging from the rafters some day.
Nick Gelso covers the Boston Celtics and NBA for Boston Sports Then and Now. You can check out more of his great work on his blog: North Station Sports.
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